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NEWS : STORIES
The end of the year is when those bulky box sets start to look really enticing. You'd love to see one under your tree; maybe you'd even like to wrap one up for a special pal. Take a glance at the titles below. Each is an illustrative compilation and
Nirvana - With the Lights Out (Geffen) You can almost see the smirk on Kurt's puss. Lo-fi, skaggy, grunged-up, punked-out, dogged-eared, crud-strewn, and, most of all, dizzyingly fierce about dispensing its emotions, this three-disc, one-DVD affair is a DIYer's wet dream. From the early stuff, yelped into a cheap tape recorder at Cobain's mom's house, to the later pieces, casually bashed out for demo use or violently interpreted on stage, Nirvana went for catharsis every time; and while their art wasn't visionary, it sure was committed in both its psychological candor and rhythmic eruption. Want to get your ears boxed by a certified curmudgeon? Get that Visa out. The Faces - Five Guys Walk Into a Bar... (Rhino/Warner Bros.) The difference between rock and rock 'n' roll has to do with swing. This famed '70s outfit romped and stomped with the best of 'em, and a crazed and casual attitude defined their stuff even more than their riffs did. Rod Stewart once ruled the world; these four discs of essential swagger help explain why. Left of the Dial: Dispatches from the '80s Underground (Rhino/Warner Bros.) While one world listened to Wham!, another sought refuge in SST punk turmoil and transatlantic Goth rock. Here Mission of Burma meet the Jesus & Mary Chain meet R.E.M. in a 1980s college radio programmer's wet dream. Shame Nirvana had to go and spoil it all, really. Can't You Hear Me Calling, Bluegrass: 80 Years of American Music (Columbia/Legacy) The scratchy twin fiddles that kick off this twang-filled affair set the tone for 109 profound tracks that ably document a long-gone essence of rural life. Some participants were instrumental virtuosos with success on their minds, some were good-time boys only out to entertain a barn full of pals. As the music rolls on, you'll find mothers weeping, marriages crumbling, and grasshoppers sitting on sweet 'tater vines. Because of the curatorial grace, each track tickles you in one way or another. Rather essential. Lenny Bruce - Let the Buyer Beware (Shout! Factory) Time has weakened Bruce's corrosive force, but this box can't be ignored by anyone who cares about comedy. With a delivery owing everything to jazz, Bruce made mother-in-law jokes extinct by doggedly riffing on the truth until it became absurdly funny. The Complete Miles Davis Columbia Recordings, 1963-1964 (Columbia/Legacy) This was a transition time for the famed jazz trumpeter, but what wasn't? After losing John Coltrane, he was looking for another intrepid foil. Each participant brings something particular to the table; George Coleman plays the blues and Sam Rivers rattles the cages. The one constant is the leader's horn. Full of introspection and insinuation, he messes with innumerable emotions on these utterly vibrant sessions. By the last disc we learn that Wayne Shorter got the job. Rockpile Seconds of Pleasure (Columbia/Legacy) Back in the late '70s, when pub rock was dying out and punk pop was full of fun, Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds launched a loosey-goosey outfit that was happy just to ape its rock 'n' roll heroes. Thankfully, both of 'em had a knack for song-craft -- every giddy track on this celebrated reissue was cut from an existing pop template, be it Chuck Berry, Everly Brothers, or the Beatles. But each crackles with the spirit of the moment, like Nick and Dave were the first people to ever explain themselves with the help of a backbeat. The enthusiasm is contagious. Stomping at the Savoy: The Original Indie Label 1944 - 1961 (Savoy) The premiere R&B label of the '40s and '50s was ultra reliable when it came to making all the party people jump. Everything is in the red zone on these 84 tracks of boogie, blues, and stomp. If it's time to party, then someone's got to shout it. If there's drinking to be done, someone's guaranteed to get blotto. Even the ballads are bellowed. Stuff's risqué, too. After a particularly rollicking wedding ceremony, a dude by the name of Cousin Joe carries his wife up to their doorstep and declares, with a leer in his voice, that he "can't wait to get inside." One track later Big Joe Turner's talking about his gal, who, it turns out, is a jockey - she rides him night and day. From Johnny Otis to Wild Bill Moore this set bubbles over with the giddy enthusiasm that defines rock 'n' roll. Peter, Paul & Mary - Carry It On (Warner Bros./Rhino) This square-looking trio could make folk pop without betraying their songs' radical intents. Hence "Puff the Magic Dragon" is a kid's song about pot, and they comfortably covered Dylan and Denver. The threesome stayed true to the game, too -- check out "El Salvador." The Complete Norman Granz Sessions (Verve) Isn't it competition that's the mother of invention? A case could be made from the glorious racket on this box. Jazz was filled with dukes, counts, and other royalty, and every session produced by entrepreneur Granz was a new chance to enhance one's status -- all you had to do was kick some butt when your solo time came 'round. A few players did it with plain old whomp: trumpeter Roy Eldridge and saxophonist Illinois Jacquet were masters of eloquence and frenzy. But some, like tenor maestro Lester Young and alto kingpin Benny Carter, did it with nuance. Their floating butterflies beat a few stinging bees on this utterly enjoyable affair. This Is Reggae Music: The Golden Era, 1960-1975 (Trojan/Sanctuary) Some people find modern dancehall too boom-bastic; some people find dub too boring; some people find post-Marley reggae too meager in songcraft. But there's a consensus regarding the music's roots. From ska to skank, listeners swoon. Credit the soulful jubilation and pop catchiness at the center of that bouncing riddim. This playful box set stresses the early days, illustrating how fluff like Millie Small's "My Boy Lollipop" can be considered both art and entertainment. The giants are here: Desmond Dekker, Alton Ellis, Toot & the Maytals all show up a few times. But the also-rans turn your head, too. See the Tennors' "Ride Your Donkey" for proof. TOP OF THE POPS: Artists Pick Their Fave CDs, DVD, and Movies of 2004 Twangtronica & Punk-Hop: 2004's Best CDs Hear and Now: 2004's Overlooked CDs
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